Meet the Ivry Family of Oakland

Jessica Ivry lives in Oakland with her three-year-old daughter Esti. A longtime Bay Area resident, Jessica is grateful for the wide variety of opportunities for involvement with Jewish life for families with children and teens in their local community.

As a single-parent, Jessica values the inclusiveness of Jewish families in her community and joins in a rich variety of programming. She affirms that “we can jump in, partake, and feel welcome at any Jewish community experience.”

Esti and Jessica attend holiday events at Urban Adamah, family weekend camps at Camp Tawonga, and family programs at the JCC East Bay.

Jessica is particularly delighted that Esti attends preschool at Temple Sinai of Oakland and praises the loving and supportive teachers and staff. Soon after Esti started at the preschool, she started singing “Mah Tovu” and making up words in her own version of Hebrew. The preschool provides a built-in community that extends beyond the school day, and the Ivry family regularly attends Temple Sinai’s Tot Shabbat programs where they can connect with other local families.

Esti has received PJ Library books and resources since she was a baby and has also been gifted many more PJ Library titles from friends with older children. She enjoys the delightful stories and illustrations and has shown enthusiasm for recent books such as Ella’s Trip to Israel and Oh No, George! These books spark great discussions between Jessica and Esti, such as George the dog’s decision-making process and how this is linked to Jewish values such as making amends and striving to do better.

PJ Library® sends free Jewish books and music on a monthly basis to children ages 6 months through 8 years of age throughout the Bay Area. Learn More

If you would like to be featured as our Family of the Month, simply fill out this form and we will be in touch!